Western Maryland’s outdoor recreation attractions are increasingly recognized globally for their natural beauty, accessibility, and variety. Top destinations such as the Great Allegany Passage and the C&O Canal National Historical Park—ranked as the 16th most visited U.S. National Park Service site—continue to draw visitors near and far. A new research project and Make It. In the Mountains. marketing campaign, spearheaded by Allegany and Garrett County Governments and the Maryland Department of Commerce and Office of Tourism, aims to leverage the region’s leading natural resources to attract more outdoor-focused businesses and manufacturers to the area, driving further investment into Western Maryland.
Ashli Workman, Director of Allegany County Tourism, explains, “We have seen Allegany’s outdoor-based amenities drive destination awareness and visitor volume, but they’ve also acted like an ambassador for our economic development. Companies are interested in our region because of the lifestyle that their workforce can have after the nine-to-five.”
“We have seen Allegany’s outdoor-based amenities drive destination awareness and visitor volume, but they’ve also acted like an ambassador for our economic development.” - Ashli Workman, Director of Allegany County Tourism
In 2019, the Maryland Outdoor Recreation Economic (MORE) Commission released a study on the state's outdoor economy, recommending the creation of a central outdoor recreation hub in Maryland to enhance outdoor activities and manufacturing. “We were inspired to figure out how to connect the dots between Western Maryland’s public lands, outdoor recreations, and economic development,” adds Workman.
Shortly after the MORE Commission’s report was released, the COVID-19 pandemic broke out across the globe. “COVID really created this ‘aha’ moment for Allegany County,” said Workman. “While other counties around us were shutting down and urban centers were sheltering in place, the mountains of Western Maryland were bustling with people who felt safe to retreat here to recreate outdoors and then eventually relocate here when many jobs went remote.”
“COVID really created this ‘aha’ moment for Allegany County. While other counties around us were shutting down, the mountains of Western Maryland were bustling with people who felt safe to retreat here.” - Ashli Workman, Director of Allegany County Tourism
Capitalizing on a “perfect storm” of opportunity and awareness, Allegany County Government, in partnership with Garrett County Government and the Maryland Department of Commerce, applied for a grant from the Appalachian Regional Commission to conduct its own study on the outdoor recreation industry.
Bringing on Downstream Strategies, an Appalachia-based consulting firm, the team spent a year studying similar community case studies, mapping the region’s recreational assets, and conducting research to understand outdoor manufacturing opportunities in Western Maryland.
The project produced a regional strategic plan for attracting outdoor recreation businesses and a study on how tourism can link public lands with economic and community development. The study revealed that the region’s 170,000 acres of public land provide ideal access for outdoor recreation equipment and apparel manufacturers to test their products in the real outdoors. The study also identified specialty food and timber/wood production as key industries.
To attract these businesses, Allegany and Garrett Counties launched Make It. In the Mountains., a website and marketing campaign to highlight regional advantages, resources, and testimonials specific to the key sectors. Working with local marketing company InnerAction Media, the campaign name emphasizes its manufacturing focus and the opportunity for businesses to thrive in the mountains of Western Maryland.
The campaign featured two businesses from each county to share their successes. Mike Koch, Co-founder of Firefly Farms, and Carrie Andrews, President of Flying Scot Inc., were featured from Garrett County. From Allegany County, Mandela Echefu, Owner of Wheelzup Adventures, and David Hayes, Executive for Specs—a leading provider of compound management services and supplier of research compounds to the life science industry—were selected.
“One of the coolest results of this project was that we wanted to promote business attraction, but really it organically became a workforce attraction piece, too,” shares Workman. “By dissecting the manufacturing industry and studying what differentiates Western Maryland, we found that while many can work anywhere in the country, they chose Western Maryland because of our outdoor economy.”
Allegany Economic and Community Development Director, Jeffrey Barclay, shares, “This study reveals how Allegany County can continue to harness our unique strengths and open-air amenities to propel economic impact beyond just attracting tourists. This campaign underscores Allegany’s ability to draw businesses that genuinely care about their work and their people—something that’s essential to maintaining the genuine, supportive community spirit in Allegany County.”
The campaign, celebrated for its compelling storytelling and exceptional video production, resonated beyond its intended audience, earning a Bronze 2024 Telly Award in the category of Branding—Non-broadcast. Founded in 1979, the Telly Awards is an international program that annually showcases the best in television and video work, receiving an average of 12,000 entries globally from over six continents and all fifty states. A panel of 200 top advertising professionals, production companies, television executives, and others in the content and streaming industry judge the entries.
“This study reveals how Allegany County can continue to harness our unique strengths and open-air amenities to propel economic impact beyond just attracting tourists.” - Jeffrey Barclay, Allegany Economic and Community Development Director
Still adapting its marketing strategy, Allegany and Garrett Counties are crafting an approach to widen the campaign's reach. “We're looking to build off of these four business profiles and create an ambassador program. It is really the start of a marathon for us of how we will continue to collaborate in this sector regionally,” added Workman.
The project also supports community-wide initiatives to bolster Western Maryland’s outdoor recreation industry. In partnership with Allegany College of Maryland (ACM), Garrett College, and local outdoor recreation businesses, Frostburg State University (FSU) launched the Frostburg Outdoor Recreation Economy Institute (FOREI). FOREI seeks to grow the outdoor recreation economy by funding workforce development, training, and certification programs.
The education partners also worked together to secure a grant from the Economic Development Administration (EDA) and the Maryland Department of Commerce’s Office of Tourism to support a regional approach to growing Western Maryland’s outdoor recreation economy by funding initiatives in workforce development and training and certification in Allegany and Garrett Counties. The grant funded a bicycle mechanic program at ACM, a marine mechanic program at Garrett College, and supported FSU in purchasing outdoor recreation equipment for its Center for Advancement of Natural and Outdoor Experiences (CANOE), which seeks to deepen students’ connection to the region by engaging them with its recreational assets.
Workman adds, “These programs serve a huge need in our community, and we hope they can encourage more jobs and help students stay in Allegany and Garrett Counties to pursue their careers.”
For more information on the “Make It. In the Mountains.” campaign, visit their website at https://makeitinthemountains.com/
Read our blog for other economic development stories in Allegany County.
